Post on 20-May-2018
transcript
Ch. 2 The Rise of China
China’s Geographic Features
Huang He or
Yellow River
Yangzi River
~ Chinese civilization
grew up in the river valley
of the Huang He River
(a.k.a.the Yellow River)
and the Yangzi River.
Geographic Features Cont.
• Huang He and Chang Jiang: The Huang
He (Yellow River) stretches from Mongolia
to the Pacific Ocean. The Chang Jiang
(Yangtze River) flows 3,400 miles across
central China, emptying into the Yellow Sea.
Valleys along the two rivers were among the
greatest food-producing areas of the ancient
world.
Huang He River or Yellow River
The mountains, deserts, jungles and other geographic features have isolated Chinese culture. Having little
contact with others, the Chinese believed their culture was the center of the earth.
~ Although China
covers a huge
area, until recent
times, most people
lived only along the
east coast or in the
river valley.
Geographical Isolation
Mountains and deserts isolated the Chinese
people from peoples in other parts of Asia.
The northern frontier became an area of
conflict as Chinese armies tried to protect
their land from other peoples.
Varied Climate
Based on elevation and monsoons
Dry and wet seasons create significant
temperature differences in winter and
summer
Early Views
The Chinese called
themselves “The
Middle Kingdom”
because they believed
they were at the center.
This is an example of
ethnocentrism.
Shang Dynasty
About 1650 BC, the Shang
gained control of northern
China. Ruling families
began to gain control,
similar to small kingdoms.
The Shang set up the first
dynasty.
Dynasty: A series of rulers
from a family.
Aristocracy
• Under the Shang dynasty, China was largely
agricultural
• Ruled by an aristocracy who were the chief
landowners
• Major concern was war
• Impressive cities were built
Political and Social Structures
• The realm was divided into territories governed by
military leaders called warlords, appointed by the
king.
• The king controlled large armies, which often
fought on the fringes of the kingdom.
• Below the royalty and the aristocracy were the mass
of peasants and a small number of merchants and
artisans.
The ancient civilization was much like others
with nobility owning the land, merchants and
craftspeople trading and living in the cities
and a large population of peasants living in
surrounding villages.
Religion and Culture
• The Chinese believed in supernatural forces that
helped the rulers, as well as in life after death.
• They communicated with the gods through oracle
bones.
• The Shang were masters of bronze casting.
• Many of their works have been recovered from
tombs.
Polytheistic Peoples
Early Chinese people were polytheistic, and prayed to many Gods and nature spirits.
They also looked to dead relatives to help them in daily life and to help them please the Gods.
Ying and Yang
Many Chinese also
believed that the
universe held a delicate
balance between
opposing forces.
The Ying and Yang
must be in balance for
prosperity and happiness
to occur in one’s life.
Zhou Dynasty
Political System
The longest-lasting dynasty in Chinese
history
Continued the political system used by the
Shang, with territories governed by
aristocratic officials under the king's
authority.
Mandate of Heaven
The Zhou claimed to rule by virtue of a
mandate of Heaven, with the king serving as
a link between Heaven and Earth.
The mandate became the basic principle of
Chinese government and lasted into the
twentieth century.
The Dao
Under the mandate, kings were expected to rule
with goodness and efficiency following the Dao
(the "Way" of proper behavior advocated in
Confucianism) to protect the people from natural
disasters.
Although the king was a representative of Heaven,
he was not divine and could be overthrown if he
was corrupt or did not rule according to the Dao.
Dynastic Cycles
Throughout Chinese history, dynasties
followed a predictable cycle:
a rise to power
then years of successful rule
finally a decline in power, leading to rebellions
or invasions.
Military Technology
By the end of the Zhou period, iron weapons
had replaced bronze weapons, and soldiers
on horseback carried powerful crossbows.
Importance of the Family
The family served as the basic Chinese
economic and social unit and symbolized the
social order.
Filial piety was expected, with family
members subordinating their needs and
desires to those of the male head of the
family.
Zhou Accomplishments
Significant technological and economic growth
took place:
the use of irrigation and iron plows, which increased the
available cropland
production of more food allowed the population to grow
Trade and manufacturing also grew
Writing system based on pictographs and
ideographs was developed.
Early Writing System
The Chinese civilizations made achievements in early writing systems that include both pictographs and ideographs and is now as one of the earliest writing systems.